Printing machine



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 PRINTING MACHINE J. D. KLOPFENSTEIN Filed Jan. 21,'1955 KZopfcnaZL'n IN VEN TOR.

BY QZ@ 1 )L ATTORNEY March 8, '1938.

March 8, 1938. J. D. KLOPFNSTEIN 2,110,140

PRINTING- MACHINE Filed Jan. 2l, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN T0. v

BY 85W.; MJL

ATTORNEY varch 8, 1938. J. D. KLoPFENsTElN PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2l, 1935 4 sheets-sheet s H'IHI' U NVENTOR. Klop f'ex-Ls'ein BY CMM- LA ATTORNEY INVENTOR.

ATTORNY March 8, 1938. J. D. KLoPFENsTElN PRINTING MACHINE l Filed Jan. 21, 1935 4 sheets-sheet 4 .n t S m a7. h4 H. U

4 @if l 1 .Fm y mm. W\ mm 4 4 4 wn 4 4 w i m 4 .,Iln- Nm 4 m Hl: 4 hn hm, 4 4 4 wm/ im .1- ,.4 4 d 4 IIIII i @e .u n ...n nu n um@ llll LII.. 94| ../`J\|NW 4 4 mm, 4 wn @L @MR PatentedV Mar. i 8, 1938 PRINTING MACHINE Jesse D. Klopfenstein, Huntington, Ind., assigner, by direct and mesne assignments, to Process Machine Corporation, Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation of Indiana.

Application January 21, 1935, serial No. 2,695

10 Claims.

The invention relates to machines by which to impress paint and other fluids in predetermined patterns orl arrangement on paper and other material that is fed to the machine.

v In recent years there has been developed a -method of producing advertising matter, posters, catalogs and other matter in which designs, patterns, figures, letters, etc., are formed on paper, paper board or othermaterial by the use of stencil screens.

The screen is formed of silk, copper wire,y organdie or other suitable materials and the design is formed thereon. The screen is blocked off or made temporarily or permanently impervious except in the portion or portions thereof through which an intended impression is to be made on the sheet of stock that is beneath the screen.

Generally the material has been forced through the screen by hand. Hand work is expensive and slow and more or less inaccurate in accomplishing the desired result.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine by which to effectively and efficiently apply iiuids through stencilsto various materials or stock. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevational view of the ma-l chine.'

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line 4--4 of Fig. 2 illustrating the stock gripper in releasing posiion.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view in enlarged scale of one of the gripper bars.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 4o and Fig. '1 is a side elevational view of the feed table. Referring to the illustrative drawings, I is the frame consisting, in the present exemplification,of the uprights 2 and the side members 45 3 which support the top 4. An opening 5 is formed in the top in which a platen 6, normally below the top, is adapted to seat-with its top face flush with the adjacent surface of Athe top 4. The platen is hinged at 1 to the upper side mem- 50 bers 3. Y v

Two chains 8, 9 respectively engage thesprockets III, II mounted' on the shaft I2, and they, also engage two sprockets I3 on the shaft I4 supported at the forward end of the frame. Each chain 55 also engages an idler sprocket I5. A pinion I6 secured to the shaft I2meshes with a gear I1 secured to the shaft I8 upon which shaft an intermittent gear I9 is rigidly mounted. An intermittent gear 20 meshes with the gear I 9 and with an intermittent gear 2l. The gear 20 is `secured to the shaft 22 that leads from a suitable differential 23 to which the drive shaft 24 is connected. The drive shaft is driven in suitable manner, as by an electric motor 25.

A cam 26 on the shaft 22 is engaged by an arm 21 that is secured to a rock shaft 28 adapted to rock the arms 29 that are pivoted respectively to the links 30. The links 30 are pivoted to a rod 3|., and the links 32 are pivoted to this rod and to the lower side of the platen 6 by all which the platen is intermittently raised and lowered on its hinges 1.

A series of transverse gripper-carrying bars 33 is carried by the chains. Each bar is suitably attached at its opposite ends to the two chains and the vspacing between the bars is such that the sheet 34 of the stock upon which the stenciling material is to be applied may be engaged by the bars successively without overlapping one another. Each bar, Figs. 4, 5, supports aLsuitable number of grippers 35, three such being shown. Each gripper consists of a tapered iinger 36. loosely keyed to the revolubly mounted shaft 31 so that it may accommodate varying thicknesses or irregularities in the stock 34. A spring 38 opposes this accommodation movement of the gripper. A finger 39 is secured to the shaft 31 and depends therefrom. This finger, when it contacts a cam 40 on the shaft I2 rocks the shaft 31 and thereby elevates all the grippers to release the imprinted sheet 34. Also when it contacts a cam 4I secured to the shaft 42 adjacent to the feed board 43, the grippers are opened to receive a sheet 34.

A link 44 is eccentrically pivoted to the gear I1 and at its lower end it is pivoted to a shoe 45 that is slidably mounted on an arm 46 that is pivoted at its lower end to a crank 41 secured to the shaft 48. A link 49 is pivoted to the crank 41 and eccentrically pivoted to the intermittent gear 2|. An arm 50 is pivoted to a crank 5I secured to the opposite end of the shaft 48 on the opposite side of the machine. The links 52, 53 are pivoted to the arms 46, 50 respectively and extend forwardly, their forward eds being loosely mounted on the spindles 54, 55 respectively which engage respectively in the lower ends of the end members 56, ,51 of the squeegee carriage 58.

A rod 59 is attached at its lower end to the shoe 4l and a rack 6I) is secured to the upper end of the rod. The rack slides in the guide bracket 6| which is secured to the arm 46 and the rack engages a gear 62 mounted on a shaft 63 supported by the bracket 6|. A rod 64 is connected at one end to the shaft 63 by a. universal coupling 65, a similar coupling 66 connecting the rod 64 to a shaft V61 carried by the bearing 68 mounted i on the' link 52. A pinion 69 on the shaft 61 meshes with a segment gear or rack 18. that is secured to the spindle 54.

The squeegee carriage 58 consists of the end members 56, 51 and the cross member 1|, having a suitable weight 12 thereon, xed to the upper ends of said members. Two squeegees 13, 14 are adjustably mounted on the cross member 1| by the collars 15, r16, the squeegees being set atv a selected angle to each other. The lower edge of` each squeegee is adapted to bear upon the screen 11 which is temporarily fixed in proper position on the top 4. The carriage pivots on the spindles 54, 55 so that` either squeegee may be engaged on the screen. The intermittent gears |1, 2| are so timed in their rotation that the link Y49 and bell crank 41 will cause the arms 46, 58 to swing and draw the squeegee over the screen. The stenciling material, such asI paint, is deposited on the screen preferably beyond the pattern, that is, in the position where the squeegee is at the -end of its stroke. The gear |9 is so formed and set that the link 44 will' cause the rack carrying rod 59 to reciprocate and cause the pinion to rotate and swing the segment gear 18 which in turn swings the carriage so as 7to' engage the other squeegee on the screen. In Fig. l the carriage has completedits forward stroke. At the time the next' sheet of stock 34 that 'the rails are elevated. This is accomplished by the rod 86 that is connected to the rod 3| of the platen elevating devices. The opposite end of the rod 86 is pivoted to one arm of a bell crank 81 pivoted at 88 to the frame member 2. A link 89 is pivoted to the other arm of the crank 81 and to the lower end of the hand operated lever 85. When the lever 85 is rocked as before described, the rod 86 draws the rod 3| forwardly or'toward the bell crank 81 thereby swinging the links 38, 32 forwardly to shorten the link distance between the lever 29 and the platen. 'Ihe platen thereupon swings downwardly on its pivots and carrying the sheet 34 with it if one such is on the platen. l

A shaft 98 is connected to the diierential 23 and is connected to a bevelgear 9| that meshes with a bevel gear 92 secured to the lower end of the shaft 93 suitably revolubly mounted on the main frame. A bevel gear 94 on the upper end of the shaft 93 meshes with a bevel gear 95 securedto the shaft 42 to which shaft the cam 4| is secured. A second cam 96 is secured to the shaft 42 upon which bears a roller 91 mounted on a lever 98 that is secured to the shaft 99. A spring |88 tends to retain the engagement of the roller 'with the cam. The levers |8|, |82 are secured to the shaft 99 and pivoted to the lower side of the feed table 43, each lever having a right angular projection |83 extending under the said table. The shaft 98 is rotated at a predetermined speed and causes the cams 4|, 96 to rotate at said speed. The cam 96 is so formed that it will intermittently permit the lever 98 to rock upwardly, under the inuence of the spring |88,

l whereby the levers |8I, |82 are rocked rearis in position for receiving the impression therack bar 59 will ascend and the pinion 69 will cause the rack 18 to rock the carriage, causing the squeegee 13 to rise and the squeegee 14 to .l

'contact with the screen. The arms 46, 58 imterialthrough the screen, as where a sheet fails to reach the stenciling station or is not register ing properly at said station. The means for vmoving the`rails comprises two levers 82 that are suitably pivotally mounted on the hangers 83 depending from the upper frame members 3 and pivotally connected at their upper ends to the rear ends ofthe rails. A link y84 is pivoted at one end to one of the levers 82 and at its opposite end it is pivoted to a hand operated lever 85 that is pivotally mounted on one of the uprights 2. By rocking the long arm of the lever 85 downwardly the short arm thereof causes the levers 82 and the rails to swing upwardly and longitudinally. The rear end of 4each rail is bevelled as shown at 83, Fig. 1 and said end engages a.'

sloping surface arranged adjacentV to the frame member 3. The rails as they rise engage the rollers 88 and elevate the carriage and the squeegee is thereby withdrawn from the stenciling material on the screen.

The platen 6 is also lowered at the same time 'sheet after it leaves the impression station will..

warolly to tilt the table 43, as shown in Fig. '1.

The continued rotation of the cam 96 then depresses the lever 98 and the levers |8|, |82 rock forwardly and not only return the table to a horizontal position but also move it longitudinally so that itsy free end will engage andline up the gripper bar 33 that by this time has come to rest in the loading'position. The spring I 84 assures contact of the bar with the guard |85 so that the bar isin proper loading position with respect to the guides |86, |81 that are adjustably mounted on the table 43. 'Ihis movement of the table is desirable, since a bar 33 may not always stop at the correct point due to 'stretching of the chains 8, 9 or variations therein. Also the vertical movement of the table clears the gripper bar that is approaching the feeding station. The throw of the table 43 being uniform it will move any bar, that comes to rest short of the correct loading position, to that position and line it up, the slack in the chains permitting such movement.

vIn the correct loading position of the bar 33 a sheet of the stockv is inserted under the grippers 35 which are elevated by the lug =39 having contacted the cam or abutment 4I. The chains then carry the bar and its attached sheet 34 to the impression station under the`screen, the sheet then contacting the inclinedplaten. 'I'he bar 33 is engaged in the offset |88 in the platen as the latter rises and is thereby lined up and the spring |89 moves the bar against the guard ||8 so that the bar is properly located at-the imprinting station. u

Any suitable means to receive the imprinted suiice. In Figs. 1 and 3, I show Va roller ||l mounted on the shaft l2 upon which is engaged a belt I2 that'also engages a. roller ||3 revolubly mounted on a shaft H3 carried by the main frame. 'I'he sheet, being held at one end by the gripper-s on the bar 33 that is moving it, will tend to sag or drop. The belt will support it and prevent its contact with any part of the machine, and when the grippers release it, the belt will convey it off the machine Where it may be received or handled in any convenient manner.

What I claim is:

1. A machine of the class described comprising a stencil, means to support the stencil, a conveyor having a plurality of spaced gripper-carrying members thereon each member adapted to engage a sheet of the material to be treated and carry the same beneath the stencil, means to drive the conveyor intermittently, 'intermittently actuated means to support the material in contact with the lower'side of the stencil and having means thereon to aline the gripper bars relatively to the stencil reciprocable means' to force an imprinting substance through the stencil n to the material, said reciprocable means including a ,pair of squeegees and means to alternately engage. the squeegees on the stencil.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a stencil, means to support the stencil, a conveyor having a. plurality of gripper-carrying members thereon, each said member being adapted to engage the material to be treated, means to intermittently drive the conveyor whereby each gripper is moved to a. loading station, then to an imprinting station under the stencil and iinally to a discharge station, means to open the grippers at the loading station and at the dischargev station, means at the imprinting station to cause the Amaterial to firmly engage the bottom side of the stencil and adapted to aline the gripper carrying member relatively to the stencil screen and reciprocable means to force an imprinting substance through the stencil von to the material said latter means including a squeegee carrier and means to intermittently reciprocate the carrier in opposite directions across the stencil.

3. A machine of the class described compris ing a stencil screen, means to support the stencil screen, a conveyor having a plurality of gripper carrying-members thereon, means to intermittently drive the conveyor whereby the grippercarrying members are successively moved to a and adapted to aline the gripper bars and a carrier having two squeegees thereon, means to intermittently reciprocate the carrier and means to rock the carrier at the end of each stroke thereof whereby to alternately contact the y squeegees with the stencil screen.

4. A machine of the .class described comprising a frame, a top carried by the frame and having an opening therein, a stencil screen secured to the'top and extending across the opening, a

-platen hinged to the frame below the top and adapted to be swung upwardly to close the said opening, a pivotally mounted feedl table at the forward end of the frame, an endless conveyor having thereon a plurality of transverse grippercarrying bars, means to drive the conveyor intermittently whereby the said bars `are moved in succession to loading position adjacent to an end of the-feed table and are engaged and alined by said table, the next stage of movementof the conveyor carrying the bars loaded with the product to be treated successively above the platen to an imprinting station, means to rock the platen upwardly to engage the product on the bottom of the stencil screen, a squeegee carrier, means to reciprocate the carrier, means to rock the carrier at the end of each reciprocation whereby to contact a squeegee with the stencil screen.

5. In a machine'of the class described the combination with a stencil screen, a substance on the screen suitable for stenciling and means to successively support sheets of material to be stenciled in contact with the screen, of means to force the substance through the screen and consisting of a carrier, two squeegees on the carrier, means to move the carrier to and fro and means having connection with the-,carrier to rock the carrier for alternate gravital engagement of the squeegees with the screen whereby to force the substance through the screen onto a shee't of material during each movement of the carrier.

6. In a machine of the class described the combination with a stencil screen and means to successively support material to be treated in contact with the lower surface of the screen of means to force through the screen a substance deposited thereon and adapted to pass through the same, comprising a carrier having two oppositely inclined squeegees thereon adapted to alternately engage the screen under the influence of gravity, intermittently actuated rocking members having connection with the carrier for moving it back and forth, a reciprocable member carried by one of the rocking members and having a connection with the carrier to intermittently rock the carrier and alternately contact the squeegees with the screen and force the said substance through said screen onto the material during each movement of the carrier.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with astencil screen, and means to successively support sheets of material to be stenciled in contact with the stencil screen, of means to force an imprinting material through the screen and comprising a cross member, two oppositely inclined squeegees mounted on the cross member, and dependingmembers rigidly connected to the opposite ends of the cross member, spindles rigidly engaged in the end members and means connected to thespindles for reciprocating the cross member and to cause the squeegees to alternately engage the screen.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a stencil screen, and means to successively support sheets of material in contact with the screen, of means to force imprinting material through the screen and comprising a cross-member two oppositely inclined squeegees mounted on the cross-member, end members attached to the opposite ends of the cross-member respectively, and depending therefrom, spindles projecting laterally from the end members re,

screen, -Aof an intermittently driven conveyor tocarry the sheets to and from. ,the support successively, and a tilting feed table adjacent to the conveyor on which the sheets are fed successively to the conveyor. Y

10. In a Amachine of the class described the combination with a frame, stencil screen attached to the frame, a platen hingedy to the frame below the screen, an intermittently operated conveyor to carry sheets of material successively onto and from the platen, intermittently operated means '3 to rock the platen toward the screen for contacting the sheets'with the'screen, means to apply a stenciling substance through the screen and onto the sheets, a hinged feed table adjacent to the carrier on which the sheets are fed successively to the carrier and means to intermittently swing the table into alinement with the conveyor.

JESSE D. KLOPFENSTEIN. 

